This course is designed as an Independent Study learning course. When you are at this level in the DNS program, you will select one area of clinical specialty practice and study. This specialty study is officially declared by you and approved by the University. This course of study is structured around a comprehensive learning contract. You develop a learning contract which provides ten semester hours of a combination of different learning activities and independent studies focused on their declared specialty. Upon official enrollment into this Symposium Course, you are provided with full instructions for preparing a learning contract, as well as examples of completed contracts. You and I then review your learning contract and mutually agree on the defined goals and learning processes to meet the goals. Faculty provides mentorship, guidance and support to you throughout the development of the learning contract and its implementation and evaluation. You are evaluated using mutually agreed upon evaluation guidelines. The learning contract is a dynamic ongoing process, which may be revised as you progress in the course. Your learning needs are given high priority during the development of the learning contract and the implementation phase. Evaluation criteria are focused on learning experiences appropriate to advanced clinical practice at the doctoral degree level. The four semester hours of learning is based on a formula: one semester hour is equivalent to fifteen contact hours of learning activities.